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Walker IS, Rogerson SJ. Pathogenicity and virulence of malaria: Sticky problems and tricky solutions. Virulence 2023; 14:2150456. [PMID: 36419237 PMCID: PMC9815252 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2022.2150456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Infections with Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax cause over 600,000 deaths each year, concentrated in Africa and in young children, but much of the world's population remain at risk of infection. In this article, we review the latest developments in the immunogenicity and pathogenesis of malaria, with a particular focus on P. falciparum, the leading malaria killer. Pathogenic factors include parasite-derived toxins and variant surface antigens on infected erythrocytes that mediate sequestration in the deep vasculature. Host response to parasite toxins and to variant antigens is an important determinant of disease severity. Understanding how parasites sequester, and how antibody to variant antigens could prevent sequestration, may lead to new approaches to treat and prevent disease. Difficulties in malaria diagnosis, drug resistance, and specific challenges of treating P. vivax pose challenges to malaria elimination, but vaccines and other preventive strategies may offer improved disease control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isobel S Walker
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Melbourne, The Doherty Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Stephen J Rogerson
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Melbourne, The Doherty Institute, Melbourne, Australia
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Lima-Cooper G, Ouma BJ, Datta D, Bond C, Soto AA, Conroy AL, Park GS, Bangirana P, Joloba ML, Opoka RO, Idro R, John CC. Apolipoprotein-E4: risk of severe malaria and mortality and cognitive impairment in pediatric cerebral malaria. Pediatr Res 2023:10.1038/s41390-023-02912-8. [PMID: 38007518 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-023-02912-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The relationship of apolipoprotein-E4 (APOE4) to mortality and cognition after severe malaria in children is unknown. METHODS APOE genotyping was performed in children with cerebral malaria (CM, n = 261), severe malarial anemia (SMA, n = 224) and community children (CC, n = 213). Cognition was assessed over 2-year follow-up. RESULTS A greater proportion of children with CM or SMA than CC had APOE4 (n = 162, 31.0%; n = 142, 31.7%; n = 103, 24.2%, respectively, p = 0.02), but no difference was seen in APOE3 (n = 310, 59.4%; n = 267, 59.6%; n = 282, 66.2%, respectively, p = 0.06), or APOE2 (n = 50, 9.6%; n = 39, 8.7%; and n = 41, 9.6%, respectively, p = 0.87). APOE4 was associated with increased mortality in CM (odds ratio, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.01, 5.11). However, APOE4 was associated with better long-term cognition (ß, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.04, 1.07, p = 0.04) and attention (ß 0.78; 95% CI, 0.26, 1.30, p = 0.004) in children with CM < 5 years old, but worse attention (ß, -0.90; 95% CI, -1.69, -0.10, p = 0.03) in children with CM ≥ 5 years old. Among children with CM, risk of post-discharge malaria was increased with APOE4 and decreased with APOE3. CONCLUSIONS APOE4 is associated with higher risk of CM or SMA and mortality in children with CM, but better long-term cognition in CM survivors <5 years of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giselle Lima-Cooper
- Department of Pediatrics, Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Benson J Ouma
- Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Dibyadyuti Datta
- Department of Pediatrics, Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Caitlin Bond
- Department of Pediatrics, Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Alejandro A Soto
- Department of Pediatrics, Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Andrea L Conroy
- Department of Pediatrics, Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Gregory S Park
- Office of the Vice President for Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Paul Bangirana
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Moses L Joloba
- Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Robert O Opoka
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Richard Idro
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Chandy C John
- Department of Pediatrics, Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
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Conroy AL, Tran TM, Bond C, Opoka RO, Datta D, Liechty EA, Bangirana P, Namazzi R, Idro R, Cusick S, Ssenkusu JM, John CC. Plasma Amino Acid Concentrations in Children With Severe Malaria Are Associated With Mortality and Worse Long-term Kidney and Cognitive Outcomes. J Infect Dis 2022; 226:2215-2225. [PMID: 36179241 PMCID: PMC10205609 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiac392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Global changes in amino acid levels have been described in severe malaria (SM), but the relationship between amino acids and long-term outcomes in SM has not been evaluated. METHODS We measured enrollment plasma concentrations of 20 amino acids using high-performance liquid chromatography in 500 Ugandan children aged 18 months to 12 years, including 122 community children and 378 children with SM. The Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes criteria were used to define acute kidney injury (AKI) at enrollment and chronic kidney disease (CKD) at 1-year follow-up. Cognition was assessed over 2 years of follow-up. RESULTS Compared to laboratory-defined, age-specific reference ranges, there were deficiencies in sulfur-containing amino acids (methionine, cysteine) in both community children and children with SM. Among children with SM, global changes in amino acid concentrations were observed in the context of metabolic complications including acidosis and AKI. Increases in threonine, leucine, and valine were associated with in-hospital mortality, while increases in methionine, tyrosine, lysine, and phenylalanine were associated with postdischarge mortality and CKD. Increases in glycine and asparagine were associated with worse attention in children <5 years of age. CONCLUSIONS Among children with SM, unique amino acid profiles are associated with mortality, CKD, and worse attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea L Conroy
- Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Tuan M Tran
- Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Caitlin Bond
- Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Robert O Opoka
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Global Health Uganda, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Dibyadyuti Datta
- Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Edward A Liechty
- Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Paul Bangirana
- Department of Psychiatry, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Global Health Uganda, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Ruth Namazzi
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Global Health Uganda, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Richard Idro
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Global Health Uganda, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Sarah Cusick
- Division of Pediatric Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - John M Ssenkusu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Chandy C John
- Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
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Uyoga S, Olupot-Olupot P, Connon R, Kiguli S, Opoka RO, Alaroker F, Muhindo R, Macharia AW, Dondorp AM, Gibb DM, Walker AS, George EC, Maitland K, Williams TN. Sickle cell anaemia and severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria: a secondary analysis of the Transfusion and Treatment of African Children Trial (TRACT). THE LANCET. CHILD & ADOLESCENT HEALTH 2022; 6:606-613. [PMID: 35785794 PMCID: PMC7613576 DOI: 10.1016/s2352-4642(22)00153-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sickle cell anaemia (SCA) has historically been associated with high levels of childhood mortality in Africa. Although malaria has a major contribution to this mortality, to date, the clinical pathology of malaria among children with SCA has been poorly described. We aimed to explore the relationship between SCA and Plasmodium falciparum malaria in further detail by investigating the burden and severity of malaria infections among children recruited with severe anaemia to the TRACT trial of blood transfusion in Africa. METHODS This study is a post-hoc secondary analysis of the TRACT trial data, conducted after trial completion. TRACT was an open-label, multicentre, factorial, randomised controlled trial enrolling children aged 2 months to 12 years who presented with severe anaemia (haemoglobin <6·0 g/dL) to four hospitals in Africa. This secondary analysis is restricted to Uganda, where the birth prevalence of SCA is approximately 1% and malaria transmission is high. Children were classified as normal (HbAA), heterozygous (HbAS), or homozygous (HbSS; SCA) for the rs334 A→T sickle mutation in HBB following batch-genotyping by PCR at the end of the trial. To avoid confounding from SCA-specific medical interventions, we considered children with an existing diagnosis of SCA (known SCA) separately from those diagnosed at the end of the trial (unknown SCA). The outcomes considered in this secondary analysis were measures of P falciparum parasite burden, features of severe malaria, and mortality at day 28 in malaria-positive children. FINDINGS Between Sept 17, 2014, and May 15, 2017, 3944 children with severe anaemia were enrolled into the TRACT trial. 3483 children from Uganda were considered in this secondary analysis. Overall, 1038 (30%) of 3483 Ugandan children had SCA. 1815 (78%) of 2321 children without SCA (HbAA) tested positive for P falciparum malaria, whereas the prevalence was significantly lower in children with SCA (347 [33%] of 1038; p<0·0001). Concentrations of plasma P falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2), a marker of the total burden of malaria parasites within an individual, were significantly lower in children with either known SCA (median 8 ng/mL; IQR 0-57) or unknown SCA (7 ng/mL; 0-50) than in HbAA children (346 ng/mL; 21-2121; p<0·0001). In contrast to HbAA children, few HbSS children presented with classic features of severe and complicated malaria, but both the frequency and severity of anaemia were higher in HbSS children. We found no evidence for increased mortality at day 28 in those with SCA compared with those without SCA overall (hazard ratios 1·07 [95% CI 0·31-3·76] for known SCA and 0·67 [0·15-2·90] for unknown SCA). INTERPRETATION The current study suggests that children with SCA are innately protected against classic severe malaria. However, it also shows that even low-level infections can precipitate severe anaemic crises that would likely prove fatal without rapid access to blood transfusion services. FUNDING UK Medical Research Council, Wellcome, and UK National Institute for Health and Care Research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Uyoga
- KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Peter Olupot-Olupot
- Busitema University Faculty of Health Sciences, Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, Mbale, Uganda; Mbale Clinical Research Institute, Mbale, Uganda
| | - Roisin Connon
- Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit (MRC CTU) at University College London, London, UK
| | - Sarah Kiguli
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Robert O Opoka
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - Rita Muhindo
- Mbale Clinical Research Institute, Mbale, Uganda
| | | | - Arjen M Dondorp
- Mahidol-Oxford Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Diana M Gibb
- Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit (MRC CTU) at University College London, London, UK
| | - A Sarah Walker
- Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit (MRC CTU) at University College London, London, UK
| | - Elizabeth C George
- Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit (MRC CTU) at University College London, London, UK
| | - Kathryn Maitland
- KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya; Department of Infectious Disease and Institute of Global Health Innovation, Division of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Thomas N Williams
- KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya; Department of Infectious Disease and Institute of Global Health Innovation, Division of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
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Decreased parasite burden and altered host response in children with sickle cell anemia and severe anemia with malaria. Blood Adv 2021; 5:4710-4720. [PMID: 34470050 PMCID: PMC8759120 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2021004704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum malaria causes morbidity and mortality in African children with sickle cell anemia (SCA), but comparisons of host responses to P falciparum between children with SCA (homozygous sickle cell disease/hemoglobin SS [HbSS]) and normal hemoglobin genotype/hemoglobin AA (HbAA) are limited. We assessed parasite biomass and plasma markers of inflammation and endothelial activation in children with HbAA (n = 208) or HbSS (n = 22) who presented with severe anemia and P falciparum parasitemia to Mulago Hospital in Kampala, Uganda. Genotyping was performed at study completion. No child had known SCA at enrollment. Children with HbSS did not differ from children with HbAA in peripheral parasite density, but had significantly lower sequestered parasite biomass. Children with HbSS had greater leukocytosis but significantly lower concentrations of several plasma inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α). In contrast, children with HbSS had threefold greater concentrations of angiopoietin-2 (Angpt-2), a marker of endothelial dysregulation associated with mortality in severe malaria. Lower TNF-α concentrations were associated with increased risk of postdischarge mortality or readmission, whereas higher Angpt-2 concentrations were associated with increased risk of recurrent clinical malaria. Children with SCA have decreased parasite sequestration and inflammation but increased endothelial dysregulation during severe anemia with P falciparum parasitemia, which may ameliorate acute infectious complications but predispose to harmful long-term sequelae.
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Conroy AL, Opoka RO, Bangirana P, Namazzi R, Okullo AE, Georgieff MK, Cusick S, Idro R, Ssenkusu JM, John CC. Parenteral artemisinins are associated with reduced mortality and neurologic deficits and improved long-term behavioral outcomes in children with severe malaria. BMC Med 2021; 19:168. [PMID: 34315456 PMCID: PMC8317420 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-021-02033-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In 2011, the World Health Organization recommended injectable artesunate as the first-line therapy for severe malaria (SM) due to its superiority in reducing mortality compared to quinine. There are limited data on long-term clinical and neurobehavioral outcomes after artemisinin use for treatment of SM. METHODS From 2008 to 2013, 502 Ugandan children with two common forms of SM, cerebral malaria and severe malarial anemia, were enrolled in a prospective observational study assessing long-term neurobehavioral and cognitive outcomes following SM. Children were evaluated a week after hospital discharge, and 6, 12, and 24 months of follow-up, and returned to hospital for any illness. In this study, we evaluated the impact of artemisinin derivatives on survival, post-discharge hospital readmission or death, and neurocognitive and behavioral outcomes over 2 years of follow-up. RESULTS 346 children received quinine and 156 received parenteral artemisinin therapy (artemether or artesunate). After adjustment for disease severity, artemisinin derivatives were associated with a 78% reduction in in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.07-0.67). Among cerebral malaria survivors, children treated with artemisinin derivatives also had reduced neurologic deficits at discharge (quinine, 41.7%; artemisinin derivatives, 23.7%, p=0.007). Over a 2-year follow-up, artemisinin derivatives as compared to quinine were associated with better adjusted scores (negative scores better) in internalizing behavior and executive function in children irrespective of the age at severe malaria episode. After adjusting for multiple comparisons, artemisinin derivatives were associated with better adjusted scores in behavior and executive function in children <6 years of age at severe malaria exposure following adjustment for child age, sex, socioeconomic status, enrichment in the home environment, and the incidence of hospitalizations over follow-up. Children receiving artesunate had the greatest reduction in mortality and benefit in behavioral outcomes and had reduced inflammation at 1-month follow-up compared to children treated with quinine. CONCLUSIONS Treatment of severe malaria with artemisinin derivatives, particularly artesunate, results in reduced in-hospital mortality and neurologic deficits in children of all ages, reduced inflammation following recovery, and better long-term behavioral outcomes. These findings suggest artesunate has long-term beneficial effects in children surviving severe malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea L Conroy
- Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health, Indiana University School of Medicine, R4 402C 1044 West Walnut St, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
| | - Robert O Opoka
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Paul Bangirana
- Department of Psychiatry, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Ruth Namazzi
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Allen E Okullo
- Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - Sarah Cusick
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Richard Idro
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | - John M Ssenkusu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Chandy C John
- Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health, Indiana University School of Medicine, R4 402C 1044 West Walnut St, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.,Division of Global Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, USA
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Abstract
Lactic acidosis and hyperlactatemia are common metabolic disturbances in patients with severe malaria. Lactic acidosis causes physiological adverse effects, which can aggravate the outcome of malaria. Despite its clear association with mortality in malaria patients, the etiology of lactic acidosis is not completely understood. In this review, the possible contributors to lactic acidosis and hyperlactatemia in patients with malaria are discussed. Both increased lactate production and impaired lactate clearance may play a role in the pathogenesis of lactic acidosis. The increased lactate production is caused by several factors, including the metabolism of intraerythrocytic Plasmodium parasites, aerobic glycolysis by activated immune cells, and an increase in anaerobic glycolysis in hypoxic cells and tissues as a consequence of parasite sequestration and anemia. Impaired hepatic and renal lactate clearance, caused by underlying liver and kidney disease, might further aggravate hyperlactatemia. Multiple factors thus participate in the etiology of lactic acidosis in malaria, and further investigations are required to fully understand their relative contributions and the consequences of this major metabolic disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik Possemiers
- Laboratory of Immunoparasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, University of Leuven, Belgium
| | - Leen Vandermosten
- Laboratory of Immunoparasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, University of Leuven, Belgium
| | - Philippe E. Van den Steen
- Laboratory of Immunoparasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, University of Leuven, Belgium
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Uyoga S, Wanjiku P, Rop JC, Makale J, Macharia AW, Nyutu GM, Shebe M, Awuondo KA, Mturi N, Woodrow CJ, Dondorp AM, Maitland K, Williams TN. Plasma Plasmodium falciparum Histidine-Rich Protein-2 concentrations in children with malaria infections of differing severity in Kilifi, Kenya. Clin Infect Dis 2020; 73:e2415-e2423. [PMID: 32772115 PMCID: PMC8492128 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa1141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Most previous studies support a direct link between total parasite load and the clinical severity of Plasmodium falciparum malaria infections. Methods We estimated P. falciparum parasite loads in 3 groups of children with malaria infections of differing severity: (1) children with World Health Organization–defined severe malaria (n = 1544), (2) children admitted with malaria but without features of severity (n = 200), and (3) children in the community with asymptomatic parasitemia (n = 33). Results Peripheral parasitemias were highest in those with uncomplicated malaria (geometric mean [GM] parasite count, 111 064/μL; 95% confidence interval, CI, 86 798–141 819/μL), almost 3 times higher than in those with severe malaria (39 588/μL; 34 990–44 791/μL) and >100 times higher than in those with asymptomatic malaria (1092/μL; 523–2280/μL). However, the GM P. falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2) values (95% CI) increased with severity, being 7 (4–12) ng/mL in asymptomatic malaria, 843 (655–1084) ng/mL in uncomplicated malaria, and 1369 (1244–1506) ng/mL in severe malaria. PfHRP2 concentrations were markedly lower in the subgroup of patients with severe malaria and concomitant invasive bacterial infections of blood or cerebrospinal fluid (GM concentration, 312 ng/mL; 95% CI, 175–557 ng/mL; P < .001) than in those without such infections (1439 ng/mL; 1307–1584; P < .001). Conclusions The clinical severity of malaria infections related strongly to the total burden of P. falciparum parasites. A quantitative test for plasma concentrations of PfHRP2 could be useful in identifying children at the greatest clinical risk and identifying critically ill children in whom malaria is not the primary cause.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Uyoga
- KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | | | - Jesse C Rop
- KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Neema Mturi
- KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Charles J Woodrow
- Mahidol-Oxford Research Unit,Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health,Nuffield Department of Medicine,University of Oxford, UK
| | - Arjen M Dondorp
- Mahidol-Oxford Research Unit,Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health,Nuffield Department of Medicine,University of Oxford, UK
| | - Kathryn Maitland
- KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Thomas N Williams
- KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College, London, UK
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Vera IM, Kessler A, Ting LM, Harawa V, Keller T, Allen D, Njie M, Moss M, Soko M, Ahmadu A, Kadwala I, Ray S, Nyirenda TS, Mandala WL, Taylor TE, Rogerson SJ, Seydel KB, Kim K. Plasma cell-free DNA predicts pediatric cerebral malaria severity. JCI Insight 2020; 5:136279. [PMID: 32554925 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.136279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUNDPrediction of adverse outcomes in cerebral malaria (CM) is difficult. We hypothesized that cell-free DNA (cfDNA) levels would facilitate identification of severe and potentially fatal CM cases.METHODSIn this retrospective study, plasma from Malawian children with CM (n = 134), uncomplicated malaria (UM, n = 77), and healthy controls (HC, n = 60) was assayed for cfDNA using a fluorescence assay. Host and parasite cfDNA was measured by quantitative PCR. Immune markers were determined by ELISA, Luminex, or cytometric bead array.RESULTSTotal cfDNA increased with malaria severity (HC versus UM, P < 0.001; HC versus CM, P < 0.0001; UM versus CM, P < 0.0001), was elevated in retinopathy-positive (Ret+) CM relative to Ret- CM (7.66 versus 5.47 ng/μL, P = 0.027), and differentiated Ret+ fatal cases from survivors (AUC 0.779; P < 0.001). cfDNA levels in patients with non-malarial febrile illness (NMF, P = 0.25) and non-malarial coma (NMC, P = 0.99) were comparable with UM. Host DNA, rather than parasite DNA, was the major cfDNA contributor (UM, 268 versus 67 pg/μL; CM, 2824 versus 463 pg/μL). Host and parasite cfDNA distinguished CM by retinopathy (host, AUC 0.715, P = 0.0001; parasite, AUC 0.745, P = 0.0001), but only host cfDNA distinguished fatal cases (AUC 0.715, P = 0.0001). Total cfDNA correlated with neutrophil markers IL-8 (rs = 0.433, P < 0.0001) and myeloperoxidase (rs = 0.683, P < 0.0001).CONCLUSIONQuantifying plasma cfDNA is a simple assay useful in identifying children at risk for fatal outcome and has promise as a point-of-care assay. Elevated cfDNA suggests a link with host inflammatory pathways in fatal CM.FUNDINGNIH NCATS (AK), Burroughs-Wellcome (AK), and National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (SJR).
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Affiliation(s)
- Iset Medina Vera
- Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Anne Kessler
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Li-Min Ting
- Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.,Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Visopo Harawa
- Blantyre Malaria Project, University of Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Thomas Keller
- Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Dylan Allen
- Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Madi Njie
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - McKenze Moss
- Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Monica Soko
- College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Ajisa Ahmadu
- Malawi-Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi
| | | | - Stephen Ray
- Blantyre Malaria Project, University of Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi.,Malawi-Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Tonney S Nyirenda
- College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi.,Malawi-Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Wilson L Mandala
- Malawi-Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi.,Malawi University of Science and Technology, Thyolo, Malawi
| | - Terrie E Taylor
- Blantyre Malaria Project, University of Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi.,College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Stephen J Rogerson
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Karl B Seydel
- Blantyre Malaria Project, University of Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi.,College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Kami Kim
- Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.,Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
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Villaverde C, Namazzi R, Shabani E, Park GS, Datta D, Hanisch B, Opoka RO, John CC. Retinopathy-Positive Cerebral Malaria Is Associated With Greater Inflammation, Blood-Brain Barrier Breakdown, and Neuronal Damage Than Retinopathy-Negative Cerebral Malaria. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc 2019; 9:580-586. [PMID: 31808816 PMCID: PMC7653550 DOI: 10.1093/jpids/piz082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Our prior study findings suggest that Plasmodium falciparum is the cause of disease in both malaria retinopathy-positive (RP) and most retinopathy-negative (RN) cerebral malaria (CM), and that absence of retinopathy and decreased disease severity in RN CM may be due to shorter duration of illness, lower parasite biomass, and decreased var gene expression in RN compared to RP CM. In the present study, we assessed the pathophysiology of RP and RN CM. METHODS We compared markers of systemic and central nervous system inflammation, oxidative stress, neuronal injury, systemic endothelial activation, angiogenesis, and platelet activation in Ugandan children with RP (n = 167) or RN (n = 87) CM. RESULTS RP children had higher plasma C-reactive protein (P = .013), ferritin and erythropoietin (both P < .001) levels, an elevated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF):plasma albumin ratio (P < .001), and higher CSF tau protein levels (P = .049) than RN children. Levels of plasma and CSF proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress markers did not differ between RP and RN children. RN children had higher plasma levels of endothelin 1 (P = .003), platelet-derived growth factor (P = .012), and platelet factor 4 (P = .034). CONCLUSIONS RP and RN CM may represent different phases of CM. RN CM may be driven by early vasospasm and platelet activation, whereas the more advanced RP CM is associated with greater inflammation, increased erythropoietic drive, blood-brain barrier breakdown, and neuronal injury, each of which may contribute to greater disease severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandler Villaverde
- Department of Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA,Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Ruth Namazzi
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Estela Shabani
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA,Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Gregory S Park
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Dibyadyuti Datta
- Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Benjamin Hanisch
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Robert O Opoka
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Chandy C John
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA,Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA,Correspondence: C. C. John, MD, Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health, 1044 W Walnut St, R4 402D, Indianapolis, IN 46202. ()
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11
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Conroy AL, Opoka RO, Bangirana P, Idro R, Ssenkusu JM, Datta D, Hodges JS, Morgan C, John CC. Acute kidney injury is associated with impaired cognition and chronic kidney disease in a prospective cohort of children with severe malaria. BMC Med 2019; 17:98. [PMID: 31109328 PMCID: PMC6528242 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-019-1332-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a recognized complication of pediatric severe malaria, but its long-term consequences are unknown. METHODS Ugandan children with cerebral malaria (CM, n = 260) and severe malaria anemia (SMA, n = 219) or community children (CC, n = 173) between 1.5 and 12 years of age were enrolled in a prospective cohort study. Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria were used to retrospectively define AKI and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Cognitive testing was conducted using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning in children < 5 and Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) second edition in children ≥ 5 years of age. RESULTS The prevalence of AKI was 35.1%, ranging from 25.1% in SMA to 43.5% in CM. In-hospital mortality was 11.9% in AKI compared to 4.2% in children without AKI (p = 0.001), and post-discharge mortality was 4.7% in AKI compared to 1.3% in children without AKI (p = 0.030) corresponding to an all-cause adjusted hazard ratio of 2.30 (95% CI 1.21, 4.35). AKI was a risk factor for short- and long-term neurocognitive impairment. At 1 week post-discharge, the frequency of neurocognitive impairment was 37.3% in AKI compared to 13.5% in children without AKI (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.31 [95% CI 1.32, 4.04]); at 1-year follow-up, it was 13.3% in AKI compared to 3.4% in children without AKI (aOR 2.48 [95% CI 1.01, 6.10]), and at 2-year follow-up, it was 13.0% in AKI compared to 3.4% in children without AKI (aOR 3.03 [95% CI 1.22, 7.58]). AKI was a risk factor for CKD at 1-year follow-up: 7.6% of children with severe malaria-associated AKI had CKD at follow-up compared to 2.8% of children without AKI (p = 0.038) corresponding to an OR of 2.81 (95% CI 1.02, 7.73). The presenting etiology of AKI was consistent with prerenal azotemia, and lactate dehydrogenase as a marker of intravascular hemolysis was an independent risk factor for AKI in CM and SMA (p < 0.0001). In CM, AKI was associated with the presence and severity of retinopathy (p < 0.05) and increased cerebrospinal fluid albumin suggestive of blood-brain barrier disruption. CONCLUSIONS AKI is a risk factor for long-term neurocognitive impairment and CKD in pediatric severe malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea L. Conroy
- Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1044 W. Walnut St., Indianapolis, IN 46202 USA
| | - Robert O. Opoka
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Paul Bangirana
- Department of Psychiatry, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Richard Idro
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | - John M. Ssenkusu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Dibyadyuti Datta
- Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1044 W. Walnut St., Indianapolis, IN 46202 USA
| | - James S. Hodges
- Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Catherine Morgan
- Division of Pediatric Nephrology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Chandy C. John
- Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1044 W. Walnut St., Indianapolis, IN 46202 USA
- Division of Global Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, USA
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12
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Lee HJ, Georgiadou A, Otto TD, Levin M, Coin LJ, Conway DJ, Cunnington AJ. Transcriptomic Studies of Malaria: a Paradigm for Investigation of Systemic Host-Pathogen Interactions. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2018; 82:e00071-17. [PMID: 29695497 PMCID: PMC5968457 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00071-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcriptomics, the analysis of genome-wide RNA expression, is a common approach to investigate host and pathogen processes in infectious diseases. Technical and bioinformatic advances have permitted increasingly thorough analyses of the association of RNA expression with fundamental biology, immunity, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and prognosis. Transcriptomic approaches can now be used to realize a previously unattainable goal, the simultaneous study of RNA expression in host and pathogen, in order to better understand their interactions. This exciting prospect is not without challenges, especially as focus moves from interactions in vitro under tightly controlled conditions to tissue- and systems-level interactions in animal models and natural and experimental infections in humans. Here we review the contribution of transcriptomic studies to the understanding of malaria, a parasitic disease which has exerted a major influence on human evolution and continues to cause a huge global burden of disease. We consider malaria a paradigm for the transcriptomic assessment of systemic host-pathogen interactions in humans, because much of the direct host-pathogen interaction occurs within the blood, a readily sampled compartment of the body. We illustrate lessons learned from transcriptomic studies of malaria and how these lessons may guide studies of host-pathogen interactions in other infectious diseases. We propose that the potential of transcriptomic studies to improve the understanding of malaria as a disease remains partly untapped because of limitations in study design rather than as a consequence of technological constraints. Further advances will require the integration of transcriptomic data with analytical approaches from other scientific disciplines, including epidemiology and mathematical modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun Jae Lee
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | - Thomas D Otto
- Centre of Immunobiology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Levin
- Section of Paediatrics, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lachlan J Coin
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - David J Conway
- Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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